290 SKBTCBES OP BRITISH ICHTHYOLOOT. 



gular tail. The middle of the dorsal fin is nearly the middle of the 

 whole length of the fish. The number of plates, from the shoulder 

 to the vent, is about eighteen ; from thence to the tail-end, thirty- 

 seven. The abdomen is rounded. The pectoral fin has fifteen rays ; 

 the dorsal, thirty-nine : the anal fin, of three rays, is minute ; the 

 caudal, of ten rays, pointed. Prevailing colour, olive-green, mottled 

 and spotted with yellow-brown and yellowish- white. Its habits 

 resemble those of the preceding species. For iconographical deline- 

 ations of the fish, see Willughby, 1. 25, fig. 1 ; Donovan, pi. 56; 

 Bonnaterre, pi. 21, fig. 70 ; and Yarrell, vol. ii., p. 332. 

 - B. In the second Sub-genus, are included those species of Syngna- 

 thus which exhibit only a dorsal fin. There is no sub-caudal pouch 

 in either sex. It contains three British species. 



3. The ^quoreal Pipe-fish, — S. cequoreus, — la Pipe, — measures, 

 in length, from twenty inches to two-feet. The form of the body 

 13 somewhat compressed and angular : an acute dorsal and abdomi- 

 nal ridge, with three slight angles on each side, imparts to it an 

 octangular appearance. That part of the body which extends from 

 the gills to the vent, is nearly of equal size ; and contains about 

 thirty plates. The body, from the vent to the tail-end, is, at first, 

 quadrangular ; afterwards round and taper, and presents thirty-six 

 plates. Three-fourths of the dorsal fin, which consists of forty rays, 

 are situated anteriorly, measuring in a vertical line, to the vent ; 

 one fourth, posteriorly. The end of the tail is very small and com- 

 pressed ; and the rays not perceptible by the naked eye. The colour 

 is yellowish, with transverse pale lines and dark margins, one on 

 each side, and one down the middle of each plate ; " giving it the 

 appearance of possessing double the number of joints it really has." 

 These markings cease at the vent. This species inhabits the open 

 ^ea ; and, from the report of F. C. Lukis, Esq., occurs at Guernsey. 



In this, and the two succeeding species, the male fish exhibits 

 several distinct hemispherical depressions on the lower surface of the 

 abdomen, anteriorly to the vent. The female is destitute of these 

 4epressions ; the purposes of which I shall presently describe. Fi- 

 gures of S. wquoreus are given, by Montagu, Wernerian Memoirs, 

 vol. i., pi. 4, fig 1 ; and Yarrell, vol. ii., p. 335. 



4. Th,e Snake Pipe-fish, — S. ophidion, — le Serpent, ou Serpent 

 4e mer. The form of the body is octangular ; but more slender and 

 rounded than in the preceding species. Uniform, in size, from the 

 gills to the vent, it afterwards tapers gradually to the tail, which 

 has a slightly flattened extremity. The divisions in the series of 

 tjfftnsverse plates, and the angles of the body, are nearly obsolete. 



